Evaluation of facial cutaneous aging in individuals with mitral valve prolapse

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common valvular disorder characterized by extracellular matrix loss, myxomatous degeneration, increased proteoglycan deposition, and disruption of collagen and elastin. This study aimed to assess facial skin wrinkling a visible marker of collagen degradation in MVP patients and explore its association with cutaneous aging.

Sixty-five MVP patients and 65 healthy controls matched for age, sex, Fitzpatrick skin type, smoking and alcohol habits, and sun protection behavior were included. Individuals under 18 years; those with chronic, autoimmune, or inflammatory skin diseases; systemic disorders; history of cosmetic procedures; regular anti-aging product use; or tanning bed exposure/severe sunburn were excluded. All participants completed the Sun Protection Behavior Scale. Facial wrinkles were assessed under standardized conditions using the Lemperle Wrinkle Assessment Scale.

The MVP and control groups were similar in age (47.57 ± 13.53 vs. 47.25 ± 17.73 years), sex, smoking and alcohol use, skin type, and sun protection scores (all p > 0.05). MVP patients demonstrated significantly higher wrinkle scores across most facial regions including forehead, glabellar, periorbital, preauricular, cheek, nasolabial, perioral, commissural, marionette, and labiomental areas than controls (all p < 0.001), whereas horizontal neck lines did not differ (p = 0.087).

This first investigation of facial aging in MVP shows notably greater wrinkling in affected individuals, independent of sun exposure. These findings suggest that connective tissue abnormalities in MVP may be associated with increased cutaneous photoaging. Further prospective studies are needed to clarify the nature of this association and its potential clinical implications.